St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-15
AT THE WRECK.
Ono of the Most Appalling Ruins
Known in the History OF Railway
Accidents.

IL
Accidents.
BOSTON, March 1.-THE wreck as it lies
makes more appalling ruin than that of
any similar disaster. At Deerfeld, White
River Junction and at other scenes of hor-
Tor fire wiped out all ruins hat were not
indestructible, but not so this time. There
lies the great trough. nearly filled with
torn, twisted, crushed and splintered rail-
road property. An adequate description of
the shapeeSs mass is simply impossible.
OF the nine cars hich formed the train
six are in the cut. The first, No. $50, lies
minus its trucks near the track, about 400
feet from the nearest bridge abutment. 1t
was the rear truck of this car that went
wrong first, but the occupants were not
hurt, being only shaken up. Just back of
this car is No. Is, the second car OF the
train. This car was swept from its trucks
and its rear was crushed in by the car fol-
lowing. Car No. 2S, the third one on this
train, is on the embankment, badly de-
moished. but retains its general shape.
The passengers in this car were badly
shaken up. but there were no serious casu-
alties among them. This car lies partly
on its side, about 100 feet from the chasnI.
Next came Car No. ST. 1t is doubtful if
any one escaped from this car alive The
bridge entirely gave way before it reached
the inward side. but the
MOMENTUM OF THE TRAIN
and the strength Of the couplings carried it
nearly over the chasm. 1t dropped Just
before it reached the abutment and the
body of the car dashed against the solid
stone wall. The force OF the shock
shot the roof forward so that it cleared the
chaSm and slid along the rails itself full
ten feet. The body of the car was literally
ground to pieces and the bits of wood, iron
and human bodies were strewn Oh the road
beneath forming the foundation of the
wreck. Those VINO examined the wreck
could find no distinct trace in the ruins of
this car which could be identified. The
only proof that it had existed was the fact
that there were plainly nine car roofs at
different points and it followed that nine
cars had been wrecked, though it was posi-
bic to trace but eight. The cars which lie
i'll the clasm form pit of wreckage 400
feet long by 100 feet wide. The road be-
meath crosses at such a sharp angle that all
the cars were diverted Oh striking the oppo-
site abutment, into general position
parallel with the street and the abutment.
Most of the casualties were in cars 81. so
and "a, respectively, the fourth, fifth and
sixth on the train. and the first, second and
third of those which went into the chasm.
Car No. "a lies in heap of splinters, with
sides and roof broken in. The stove did
not break its faSteningS, but was broken
above the CRATE. The fire, however, was
eXtinguiShed. Car No. so lies partly on
Car No. 54; unroofed and with every seat
down. Several of the killed and wounded
persons were taken from this car. This
stove remained firmly fixed and no fire es-
capped. Car No. 81 is
PRACTICALLY DEMOLISHED.
No. 50 lies almost intact upon the ruins.
Many persons were Injured in these cars
and but few weIe killed. Back of them is
the up-turned wreck of the smoking car,
corner of which remains. The car whirled
upside down as it half-fell from the em-
bankment. Scarcely any of the passengers
escaped uninjured. and Policeman Taylor
and one or two others were killed. The
bridge where the accident occurred was built
i'll July, 1878. 1t was 1O4 feet in length
and twenty feet in height and spanned
the road. resting Oh the heavy
stone walls. The grade of the
road is very heavy, and there is a sharp
curve where the bridge crosses the highway. 4
The latter runs diagonally under the bridge,
and the abutments upon which the structure
stands are set at sharp angles. The bridge
was designed for double track, but only
single track crosses it now, and the experts
cannot understand how both trusses were
carried down when the bearing comes upon
only one. Mr.. Manley, of the city engi-
neer's office, made careful inspection of the
bridge soon after it had fallen. He said
there was no apparent reason for its giving
way. or for the breaking of the iron work.
1t seemed as if some force had drawn it
forward and thrown it from its bearings. D.
l.. Davis, of the Boston & Providence road,
considered one of the best railroad men i'll
the country. expressed a similar opinion. A
Mr.. Blalsdell who was crossing from the
first to the second car just as the train struck
the bridge, says he observed
A BROKEN JOURNAL
hanging down. This would account for
carrying the whole bridge off the abutments.
A bad flaw has been found near the end of
twelve-inch truss which rests few feet
above the debris. Tt shows diagonal frac-
ture Of the iron twelve inches long of
which eight inches is black with rust, while
the rest of the fracture is fresh. The first
Sign of violence to the cars is upon the
woodwork of the second truck of the first
car. A violent blow from underneath frac-
tured a 4X1O inch timber. The blow lifted
the truck from the track and deraied the
car. Engineer White says that in going
across the bridge he felt shock which he
thought might have been caused by a broken
axle. This, however, could not possibly
have been the first cause of the accident, for
the trucks of the first two cars are i'm good
condition, except as regards the point above
mentioned. The only remaining possible
cause is broken rail. 1t is doubtful if any
examination ON this point would result sat
isfactorily, for there are many of them